Work resumes on major Lewisham town centre retail and housing development

Work has resumed on a new Lewisham development bringing hundreds of homes, shops and gym beside Lewisham station.

Earlier this year work stopped due to a dispute between Prator and Balfour Beatty over cladding which has delayed the project which was to see residents move in during 2023.

Work on the façade at what is now called Newton Place is now back underway with another couple of floors seeing work in the recent past.

The tallest element of the project close to the former Citibank tower has appeared externally complete for many months now including around street level.

Upon completion the second phase of Lewisham Gateway will see 649 flats.

As for the development’s integration with the adjacent street and bus stops this has been a topic of concern for many. Photographs taken from Lewisham station give an impression of future paving space.

Previously a fence lining the site was adorned with sheeting obscuring the view. Click the image above to zoom in.

While writing this a photo taken from the same angle just as work was about to get underway popped up. Quite the change.

Before that this view would have shown a large roundabout which was removed as the current road layout was installed.

Layout and footfall

The area beside bus stops naturally sees high footfall with potential congestion between bus users and other pedestrians, though many people will now switch when heading between the station and town centre to a new pedestrian-only path through the middle of the site.

As the above image shows the bus stops can be entirely by-passed by walking through the centre of the site to a pedestrian crossing which leads to the shopping centre and High Street.

Facades on the eastern half of the site where a cinema was planned are still half-finished. The cinema was to be operated by Empire who entered administration.

Unless a new operator can be secure reasonably soon don’t expect a cinema to open for some time.

Out of all residential elements across the site, much cladding work does now appear complete with a few floors to go here and there.

Businesses set to move in include Gail’s Bakery, Tortilla, hair salon Blue Tit, Nebula, coffee shop Black Sheep and a Stars gym.

Expect the first shops and residents to possibly move in around mid 2024.